By NITZ ARANCON
Correspondent
ORGANIZED farmers in Bukidnon yesterday staged a demonstration in downtown Cagayan de Oro to decry what they said was their exploitation at sugarcane plantations at the Hacienda Luisita in Tarlac, and in Batangas.
The Kilusang Mangbubukid ng Pilipinas, (KMP) and the Unyon ng mga Mangagawa sa Agrikultura (UMA) spearheaded the “Panagtagbo” at the Press Freedom Monument on Don Apolinar Velez St. as a show of support for about a thousand farmers from Bukidnon, Lanao and Cotabato who were allegedly illegally recruited to work in the Luzon plantations last year.
Ereneo Udarbe, KMP chairman for Northern Mindanao, alleged that the culprits were the Polomolok, South Cotabato-based Greenland Labor Services Cooperative, Agrikulto Inc., and the Central Azucarera de Tarlac.
Udarbe said the firms have been charged with human trafficking and unfair labor practice before the Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) by farmers led by Junorata Andil, Jury Arcite and Lolito Batawe.
The plantations, he said, belong to the Aquino-Cojuangco and Lorenzo families.
Udarbe said the Mindanao farmers were brought to the Luzon plantations on Nov. 2, 2016 with the promise that they would be paid P400 a day each and given benefits for working in the plantations of of Agrikulto Inc. and Central Azucarera de Tarlac.
He said Greenland reneged on its promise, and farmers were not properly compensated.
Udarbe said the farmers had to “escape,” and were rescued by the Union ng mga Manggagawa sa Agrikultura.
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